Privacy Policy

Last Updated: March 13, 2025

25% M.E. Group is a charity registered in Scotland (SC034265) and acts as a “controller” of personal information you provide when you join as a member, contact us via website, email, phone, or letter, or make a donation.

What We Collect

When you become a member, renew membership, or contact us, we may collect:

  • Personal Details: Name, address, phone number, email, date of birth.
  • Payment Info: Bank account number, sort code, card details (for membership fees or donations).
  • Health Info: Details about your M.E. condition, if relevant.
  • Contact List Opt-In: Name, address, phone, email, date of birth for our members’ contact list (if you agree).
  • Carer Info: Name, address, phone, email of your carer, if applicable, and their contact list opt-in details.
  • Other: Details from advocacy mandates, M.E. support/campaign groups, charity advisors, MPs, fundraisers, or professional agencies.

If you don’t provide required information, we may not be able to fully deliver membership services.

Why We Need It

We use your information to:

  • Manage your membership (e.g., send renewal notices, meeting updates, e-news).
  • Promote our mission to support severe M.E. sufferers, their families, and carers through newsletters, advocacy, and events.
  • Capture photos/videos at events for promotion (with consent).
  • Engage members in campaigns, newsletters, fundraising, and surveys.
  • Publish your details on our contact list (with consent).
  • Respond to your questions, support needs, or complaints.
  • Process membership fees and donations via PayPal, JustGiving, or Stripe.
  • Improve our website and ensure its security.

Legal Basis

We process your data:

  • To administer your membership and pursue our legitimate interests as a charity, provided it doesn’t harm you.
  • With your consent for specific uses (e.g., contact list, health data analysis for M.E. awareness).
  • To meet legal obligations (e.g., fraud prevention, legal claims).

You can withdraw consent anytime by writing to us at 25% ME Group. PO Box 8620, Troon. KA10 9BL, or emailing enquiry@25megroup.org (subject: “Consent withdrawal”).

Who We Share It With

  • Members: Your details may appear on our contact list, shared with members worldwide (including outside the EU), if you consent.
  • Event Media: Photos/videos from events may be used on our website or newsletters (with consent).
  • Authorities: We may share data with regulators or law enforcement if legally required.
  • Advisors: Lawyers, auditors, or professionals may access data for advice or compliance.
  • Third Parties: IT and payroll providers process data under strict contracts, only as instructed.

When paying membership fees or donating via PayPal, JustGiving, or Stripe, you’ll be redirected to their sites. They control your data there—check their privacy policies, as we’re not responsible.

How We Protect It

Your data is stored on secure UK/EU-based servers and accessed only by staff/volunteers for the purposes above. We use anti-malware, DKIM, anti-spam, audits, and data retention policies to safeguard it.

How Long We Keep It

  • Membership: Retained while active; deleted one year after non-renewal unless you object.
  • Advocacy: Kept for 5 years after last use to support future cases (due to M.E.’s impact on memory). We’ll contact you after 5 years to confirm retention.
  • Committee Members: Data kept during term and afterward to verify service history; names and bios appear in AGM ballots and on our website.
  • Financial Records: Kept for 7 years per legal requirements.

Your Rights

Contact us at 25% ME Group. PO Box 8620, Troon. KA10 9BL, or enquiry@25megroup.org (subject: “Data protection request”) to:

  • Access your data.
  • Correct inaccurate data.
  • Restrict or object to processing.
  • Request deletion.
  • Obtain your data for personal use.

We’ll handle requests under UK data protection law. If unsatisfied, contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk.

IP Addresses & Cookies

We collect IP addresses, browser details, and usage stats for site administration and analytics. Cookies distinguish users and track site navigation:

  • PayPal Cookies: Session-based (e.g., SessionID#27) and persistent (e.g., PYPF, 27 days) for donation processing.
  • Stripe Cookies: Session-based (e.g., akavpau_ppsd) and persistent (e.g., varies by setup) for payment processing.
  • Analytics: Persistent (e.g., 01AI, 360 days) for anonymous usage data.

Under UK GDPR, we’ll request clear consent for cookies via a pop-up (not implied consent). Delete cookies via your browser settings (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari).